This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution to colleagues, clients or customers, or inquire about permissions/licensing, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com

David Beckham transcended his sport like few have

But by choosing to come to North America and suit up for Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy, Beckham played a big role in Penman’s decision to start a bar devoted fully to the beautiful game.

David Beckham in action with the L.A. Galaxy at a sold-out Rogers Centre last year during CONCACAF Champions League match against Toronto FC. (RICHARD LAUTENS / TORONTO STAR)

Former Manchester United, Real Madrid, L.A. Galaxy, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and England midfielder David Beckham, with wife Victoria Beckham, has announced his retirement at the end of the season. (Kevin Winter / GETTY IMAGES)

“When we were deciding to build the bar, that was one of the clinchers, knowing that international stars like David Beckham were coming over and that Toronto was getting a club,” said Penman, who co-owns The Football Factory with his wife near Queen St. W. and Bathurst St.

“It showed that the league itself was solid and that it was garnering international interest.”

As Beckham prepares to end his storied career, he leaves behind a legacy in Toronto, where fans packed stadiums to get a glimpse of him in a few rare Toronto appearances.

“That was some of the most exciting football and it was one of the most beautiful spectacles of football in Toronto, because of all the pomp and pageantry that came from it being L.A. and playing against David Beckham,” he said.

You can find stories like Penman’s throughout North America, where a chance to see Beckham bend it drew unprecedented crowds. It was electric, TFC president and general manager Kevin Payne says, everywhere Beckham went.

Payne was running D.C. United when Beckham premiered in the MLS.

He remembers that first rainy night when Beckham came to town with the Galaxy. D.C. sold an extra 27,000 seats at RFK Stadium for that game.

“When he pulled off the warm-up shirt, the flash bulbs going off in the stadium were unbelievable,” Payne said. “It was like being at the opening kick of a World Cup final, where all you see is flashbulbs everywhere.”

By joining the league at the same time as Beckham, Toronto FC benefitted from the soccer star’s presence.

Article Continued Below

Ticket sales, Payne said, went “off the charts” when Beckham announced his signing with the Galaxy.

“A lot of people that weren’t very aware of our league became aware.”

For young soccer fans, like the youngsters William Buckingham coaches at Toronto High Park FC, Beckham is known more as a brand than just as a player.

“He hasn’t played in an impactful way in games they’ve cared about,” said Buckingham, High Park FC’s president.

“Using the name David Beckham is like saying Rocket Richard to a hockey player. It’s before their time to a certain degree. That’s in part because he had a very long career.”

Beckham transcended his sport in a way unlike players before him, by embracing his celebrity.

In that way, he’s unique, and Payne knows it will be a while before the MLS, and Toronto fans, get a glimpse of anyone like him.

“I’m not sure there’s another player … who could have anything like the impact that David had,” Payne said. “I know we’re all looking for that player.”

More from The Star & Partners

LOADING

Copyright owned or licensed by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or distribution of this content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Toronto Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. To order copies of Toronto Star articles, please go to: www.TorontoStarReprints.com